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Sydney_Iron 2:52 Sun Nov 12
International football well below club level.

Just an observation from another boring weekend of international football…..

Not just the current round of qualification for the WC and silly friendlies but IMO from watching a few games involving the top nations, since the big leagues have gone global in a big way with the players who play in them, the standard of International football has fallen.

The big clubs with the cream of the crop from around the world, put international level football to shame these day, the top PL sides would have no problem beating the top international sides, as would Europe’s elite like Barcelona Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG etc, and if any of them competed in the WC odds on they would win it, not that they can of course but hypothetically, Man City V Germany, who would you bet on?

ajc123 9:59 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

I reckon you could pitch a 5th rate nation like.... well Australia or New Zealand in football and they would probably turn over Man City on national pride alone.

Takashi Miike 6:32 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

the Brazil world cup was superb, loved it

Northern Sold 6:29 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

Yeah amazing that.... and world superstars like Lionel Messi and co never seem to do the biz' on the International stage... you'd think it would be easy for them

Jaan Kenbrovin 2:20 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

I've heard and read this a lot, but I completely disagree.

The last WC and Euro's have been far more entertaining than any CL games I've seen in years.

Considering Leicester won the league a couple of seasons ago, I think the German national team would totally destroy the PL, as would Brazil and Spain. Even , France, Belgium, Italy and England have a great amount of talent that would be extremely difficult to buy together at club level.

zico 1:05 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

That's why the FA have missed a trick with their management appointments over the years with England where more often than not they have gone for a "safe" option. We keep hearing how England players suffer with the pressure and the nerves which is why they don't produce club form at International Level and then the FA just appoint dour, unimaginative managers. Like him or loathe him Redknapp would probably have been a great England manager because he didn't have to buy anyone and he did have the knack of making players think they were better than they were. I don't think you have to be a great coach, just inspire the players to play for the shirt.

Willtell 9:16 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

One thing international football has shown me is that managers are a different breed from club managers.

Bilic was a success managing Crotia for years but he didn't have to coach them week in and week out. He took well-prepared players from some top clubs and got them fired up and picked a tactic for occasional matches.

At WH and in Turkey when he needed to get the players fit and coach them to play every week he fell well short of what was required.

gph 5:04 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

The Premier League is a sink for international talent.

My guess is that clubs in countries which are sources for international talent are well below international standard, at least on average.

Private Dancer 4:56 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

Yes, the Champions League is comfortably the tournament with the highest standard of football now.

One reason for what you say is that the best coaches in the world all manage at club level, add to that because national sides only have limited time together it doesn't give the coaches enough time over a longer period to get them playing how they may want them to. if Gaurdiola was manager of Spain or Germany I doubt he'd have them playing like Man City are now, as the time isn't there to accomplish that and not enough games to tinker and change things before getting to where you want your side to be.

Sydney_Iron 3:36 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

But that’s the thing, the old Division 1 was basically all British, we then started to get a few foreigners in, remember Ardiles and Villa at Spurs after the 78 WC, that trickle turned into a torrent by the time the PL was up and running, Club sides in the PL often field teams with no British players, the big loser being English International football.

Not saying I disagree with all the foreign players as its made the PL much better and more interesting but not sure any of it has or ever will filter down to see more home grown players do well, and so England do better, and it’s the same in all the top leagues in Europe, but far more prevalent in the PL simple because of the TV and money involved.

zico 3:24 Sun Nov 12
Re: International football well below club level.

Probably been this way for years in some ways and for some countries. Look at Liverpool in the 70's/80's and Man Utd in late 90's and 2000's I suspect they would have given England a run for their money.

At the same time it's one or two individuals that can make a team at Club or International level. Think it was Ron Greenwood who tried to litter England with half the Liverpool squad with the thinking that they would know each other and therefore be more successful but it didn't happen and it possibly didn't because the likes of Dalglish and Hansen were Scottish.

I think it's quite sad that the Home Nations just don't have the players they once had,. As bad as Scottish goalkeepers were I suspect the Scot squads of 20/30 years ago would probably be quite competitive now and 25 years ago there were enough decent English players to fill the squads of both England and the Republic of Ireland!!!!!!!!